Aaron Rodgers has rekindled “love affair” with football

There was a time when Aaron Rodgers thought he’d be finished as a football player in his mid-30s.

But now, the Packers quarterback says he’s back to his “love affair” with the game, and that has made him want to continue on much longer than he previously thought.

“[That feeling] has kind of given me the idea that this is what I want to do. I love football, and I want to keep playing as long as possible,” Rodgers said during an interview on Wilde & Tausch on ESPN Wisconsin. “And when you have that kind of slight shift in your thinking, then you start going to, ‘How can I do that?’ And the way you can do that, in my opinion, is taking care of yourself at a hyper-sensitive level to all the areas that that entails — the rehab area, the eating area, the workout/focus area. And all those combined have kind of given me the idea that I’d like to keep playing at a high level, as fun as it is right now.”

If that sounds a little Tom Brady, it’s probably not accidental, as the two have become friends and Rodgers has taken his own steps (which don’t involve avocado ice cream) to keep himself going into his 40s.

So as the 33-year-old Rodgers enters his 13th NFL season, he’s thinking more long-term, and appreciating the game more than he has before.

“I think it’s a change, a slight change that happened the last few years, where it really has become just a love affair,” Rodgers said. “From [being] a game I always enjoyed playing and enjoyed competing and am hyper-competitive [in] to just really loving the process even more — the practice, the preparation, just enjoying those moments even more.”

Of course, this love story might not include the kind of paparazzi treatment previous relationships have led Rodgers into, but it will certainly make Packers fans swoon, as they imagine a long and happy marriage.

This is bad news for the rest of the NFL, especially the NFC North. Looks like no one in the immediate future is going to unseat the Pack as a favorite to win the division and as one of the favorites to be in the superbowl for years to come.

Glad the love is back. He’s going to need love to carry him through his team’s first 3rd-place finish in the division in a long time. Does anyone else agree their team didn’t do much in the offseason? Meanwhile, Lions grabbed TJ Lang from them. I predict Lions AND Vikings pass them this year. Don’t worry, I won’t go as crazy as Chris Simms…he predicted the Lions to be a Super Bowl team this year (!)

This is bad news for the juvenile comment crowd! This is a bad man who put up 38 points on the vikings over-rated secondary last year. Just imagine what a focused A-Rod can do this year with more weapons. Be afraid.

aj66shanghai says:
Jul 27, 2017 11:45 AM
Almost died laughing at the Pats fan who claimed Rodgers plays in the weakest division in football.

Take a look at how many playoff wins the Bills, Dolphins and Jest have combined for since 2002.

I’ll give you a hint: it is shamefully few

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It’s not fewer than two though, is it? Because that’s how many the rest of the NFC North have won since Rodgers took the starting job in Green Bay. The Jets have won 4 playoff games during the same time period.

It’s not fewer than two though, is it? Because that’s how many the rest of the NFC North have won since Rodgers took the starting job in Green Bay. The Jets have won 4 playoff games during the same time period.
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Rogers can’t be stopped. He is far better than Brady and has an almost flawless injury record. He can’t get hurt and he can’t be stopped. Best QB ever, has 10 plus year left with his iron horse body. 5-6 rings to come for Rogers. Count it now.

aarons444 says:
Jul 27, 2017 1:11 PM
It’s not fewer than two though, is it? Because that’s how many the rest of the NFC North have won since Rodgers took the starting job in Green Bay. The Jets have won 4 playoff games during the same time period.
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Playoff appearences since 2001;

AFC East
Belichick/Brady – 14
Bills, Dolphins, Jets – 9

.. the Bills haven’t made the Playoffs since 1999!!

NFC North/Central
Packers – 13
Bears, Bucs, Lions, Vikings – 13

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We are talking about Aaron Rodgers career though, right? What does 2001 have to do with it?

It’s not fewer than two though, is it? Because that’s how many the rest of the NFC North have won since Rodgers took the starting job in Green Bay. The Jets have won 4 playoff games during the same time period.
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You are ‘moving the goalposts’ it’s a common logical fallacy. Here’s the original point in contention:

“Take a look at how many playoff wins the Bills, Dolphins and Jest have combined for since 2002.

I’ll give you a hint: it is shamefully few”

The discussion is about playoff wins for other division teams during Aarons carreer – to which I responded the other AFC East teams have four to the NFC others 2. Your first attempt at moving the goalposts was to stretch the timeline to an arbitrary and irrelevant number (throwing the Bucs in was a nice touch – a team Aaron has never even played a division game against) But now you are resorting to ‘playoff appearances’ because you can’t get around the FACT that the AFC has has twice as many playoff wins. Here’s another fun FACT – during Tom’s career, the Patriots have had a better record outside their division than in it.

seals1 says:
Jul 27, 2017 1:32 PM
Rogers can’t be stopped. He is far better than Brady and has an almost flawless injury record. He can’t get hurt and he can’t be stopped. Best QB ever, has 10 plus year left with his iron horse body. 5-6 rings to come for Rogers. Count it now.

Rogers is untouchable.
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I hope you’re trolling/being sarcastic. Rodgers can’t get hurt? Yeah except like 2 years ago when he was out half the season. Can’t be stopped? Yeah except like last year vs the Falcons, year before vs the Seahawks, year before that vs the 49ers for 2 years, etc. etc.

But now you are resorting to ‘playoff appearances’ because you can’t get around the FACT that the AFC has has twice as many playoff wins.
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Count the playoff wins. Im not objecting to that.

But there’s clearly more to it.

The Packers made the Playoffs in 2013 at 8-7-1. Would you call that a great season? They nearly won a Playoff game that year, losing on a FG as time expired.

The records prove the NFC North has been the better division over the last 16 years, whether you want to take it from 2001 when Brady began his career as a starter, or OVERWHELMINGLY so since 2008 when Rodgers career began as a starter.

aarons444 says:
Jul 27, 2017 3:21 PM
Here’s another fun FACT – during Tom’s career, the Patriots have had a better record outside their division than in it.
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Talk about useless stats.

Do you really think the Patriots would have the same record over the last 16 years if they were in the AFC North?

Do you think for one SECOND they’d be the same team if they had to take 4 BEATINGS against the Steelers and Ravens?.. sure, they might win the games, but the physical toll would be evident.

And if they were in the AFC West.. squaring off against Mack and Von Miller 4 times.. do you really think the Pats could withstand that over a 16-game season?

Get out of here with that nonsense.

… the Pats play in a weak division. It is an absolute fact, whether you want to take it over the duration of Bradys career, or as you framed it, over Rodgers career as starter. F-A-C-T.

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Ahh yes, let’s bring the Steelers into this. You are getting desperate. Rodgers and Brady both have a worse career record against the Bills, Jets and Dolphins than they do against the Vikings, Bears and Lions – a combined history of over 20 years. Give up, man.

I also remember the last time MN swept the Packers – 2009. That was the only time in the past 12 seasons. GB has swepth MN 5 times in the same time period and MN didn’t beat them in a season in one other (lost and tied).

The Packers made the Playoffs in 2013 at 8-7-1. Would you call that a great season? They nearly won a Playoff game that year, losing on a FG as time expired.

The records prove the NFC North has been the better division over the last 16 years, whether you want to take it from 2001 when Brady began his career as a starter, or OVERWHELMINGLY so since 2008 when Rodgers career began as a starter.

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I don’t know how having an 8-7-1 division winner is supposed to help your argument. Here’s the problem with the ‘playoff appearances’ argument in general:

Since 2008 – the winner of the NFC North has had an average of 11.11 wins while the AFC East winner has averaged 12.62 wins. Over a game and a half difference! And wouldn’t you know it, the AFC East has had a lot more success in the playoffs during the same time frame.

waffle, that may be the dumbest comment ive ever read. I really hope you are in high school, because if not you should be embarrassed . How many Super Bowls has Brady won, and how many has Rodgers won? I’ll wait.

aarons444 says:
Jul 27, 2017 4:14 PM
Since 2008 – the winner of the NFC North has had an average of 11.11 wins while the AFC East winner has averaged 12.62 wins.
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Beacuse Tom Brady beats up on the Weak Handicapped Sisters of the Poor.

Rodgers competition has made the Playoffs TWICE as many times as the Patriots since 2008.

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We’ve already covered this, Brady is better against the rest of the NFL (especially the NFC North) than he is against the AFC East. If they are the weak and handicapped sisters of the poor why do they have a better winning pct against Aarodg and Brady than the NFC North does?

They win more often against the Packers and Patriots than NFC North does. Its just harder to make a playoff appearance when you have to deal with Brady every year than it is when you only have to deal with Rodgers.

They win more often against the Packers and Patriots than NFC North does. Its just harder to make a playoff appearance when you have to deal with Brady every year than it is when you only have to deal with Rodgers.
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Nope. You’re simply ignoring the obvious.

The Bills haven’t made the Playoffs since 1999.

The Dolphins went 7 years without a winning season prior to making the Playoffs last year.

The Jest (intentional spelling error) have 1 winning season in the last 6 years.

The conclusion to draw here is plain for everyone to see…. except those trying to pump up TP12.

To any homer Packer fan saying he’s the GOAT, please stop embarrassing the rest of us Packer fans who give that title to Brady, as Rodgers himself does. Having said, if Rodgers can play as long as Brady and as effective, and actually wins at least a couple more Superbowls, then maybe, just maybe, Rodgers can at least join that conversation over who is GOAT. But for now and for a long time, it is Brady and rightly so.

Almost died laughing at the Pats fan who claimed Rodgers plays in the weakest division in football.
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Laughable. The NFC North blows; and that’s not remotely subject to debate or interpretation.

So again, how do you account for the fact that both Brady and Rodgers have better records against the NFC North than the AFC East.
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I would hardly give it a passing thought. Its obscure, and pretty meaningless.

Are you saying the Bills, Dolphins and Jets are better than the Bears, Lions and Vikings? That’s not what the records indicate. The NFCN teams have more seasons with winning records and more Playoff appearences.

Is that an attempt to attribute AFCE sucakage TP12? The Pats are SO dominant that the other teams records suffer?

Funny thing about that;

The Steelers and Colts have been almost as dominant in their divisions as the Patriots since 2001. (Pitt – 12 winning seasons, 11 Playoffs.. Indy – 12 winning seasons, 12 Playoffs)

Think about this; the Jaguars have 1 less playoff appearance than the Dolphins since 2001. The ABYSMAL Cleveland Browns have made the Playoffs during TP12s career while the Bills have not.

And the cherry on the sundae; something I’ve heard TP12 fans say.. in order for there to be a rivalry, the other team has to win. Which is why Pats-Steelers isn’t really a rivalry, right? The Steelers haven’t beat the Pats in the Brady-era…. and Manning-Brady was barely a rivalry, right? Manning won, what, once?….

mikespillane337 says:
Jul 29, 2017 7:43 PM
Maybe if his “love”for football never left he would have more SBs..funny how when you give your all for something you love you usually get more in return.
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What are getting for giving your all to your love of being a troll? A life?

While I don’t believe Rodgers is better than Brady. But some idiot Pats fan said the NFC North was the worst division in football.Naw not close AFC East owns that the Pats get a bye to playoffs because they are so bad there.

No need to knock Rogers for not being Brady. No one else has ever on that level career long, but Rogers is the second best in the league and plays with a lot of guts. 30 other teams would love to have him.

aj66shanghai says:
Jul 27, 2017 11:45 AM
Almost died laughing at the Pats fan who claimed Rodgers plays in the weakest division in football.

Take a look at how many playoff wins the Bills, Dolphins and Jest have combined for since 2002.

I’ll give you a hint: it is shamefully few.
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This is from Nov 2016.

the AFC East has just one team with a record worse than .500. The NFC East doesn’t have any, the AFC East and AFC West each have one team under .500, while the other five divisions all have at least two teams under .500. The AFC North doesn’t even have one team that’s above .500. The AFC East, in fact, has wiped the floor with the AFC North this year, going 8-4 so far in that interdivision matchup.